The United States and Japan will step up their defence cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

Private operator sought for ASIC Registry

The Abbott government will soon test the market to see if a private operator could upgrade and operate the registry functions of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Registrations of interest open on June 29 and end on July 27.

"This is the first step in a competitive process to explore whether a private operator is better placed to run the ASIC Registry and take on the necessary investment in technology to enhance customer service," Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said in a statement on Wednesday.